Free Agent Watch - Wide Outs and Tight Ends

In the second installment of our look inside the possible free agent market of the upcoming offseason, we take a look at the receivers and tight ends who may make a splash. These guys have yet to come to terms with their current teams and could look to test the waters of free agency next year. Some will be big names, some will be players who have a rising stock in the NFL and are full of a little thing called potential. We'll start with the receives first in this edition:

Wide Receivers:

1) Darius Heyward-Bey - Bey has been trying to live up to his high draft pick status ever since Al Davis shockingly brought him to Oakland. He struggled in his first couple seasons, but has since been really turning it on. He's currently third in the league with 1309 yards on 49 receptions. He's also added 11 TDs. Bey's quickness and athletic ability would be a good fit for any organization. And his 479 yards after the catch are the proof in the pudding. With running back Darren McFadden also in the last year of his deal, it'll be interesting to see how Oakland maneuvers these two contract situations and if in fact they can bring both superstars back to the Bay.

2) Roddy White - Another superstar and one of the best wide outs in the game, White is in the final year of his 6 year deal with the Falcons. This guy will make huge waves if he reaches free agency. However; I honestly don't see that happening. White has been an ATL staple and I don't see them getting rid of him. On pace for a 100 catch season and over 1500 yards receiving, why would they?! He is aging, but obviously still has plenty left. Mark my words, Atlanta will do what it has to to keep this guy around. If not, he'll come with a heavy price tag for whoever makes a play for him.

3) Devin Hester - Here's another guy whose speed and athletic ability alone would be a good fit for any team or scheme. Hester actually leads the Bears this season with 36 catches and 700 yards. He also leads his team with 4 receiving TDs and ZERO drops. The five time pro bowler has yet to receive a contract acceptable to his liking, and could finally decide to part ways with Chicago after 9 seasons. I believe he's still a prime return man and receiver in this league. So if that is indeed the case, look for Hester to land on his feet pretty quickly this offseason.

4) Jerrel Jernigan - An under-the-radar player, Jernigan is starting to catch the attention of other ball clubs around the league. His stats don't pop out at you so to say, but with 7 TDs he could make some noise and demand a hefty contract from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He leads the team in that category, and the sky seems to be the limit for Jernigan who is still a very young player in this league.

5) Anquan Boldin - An aging player in this league, no doubt. The three time pro bowler will be in his 12th season next year. With that said, I don't think this guy will let his temultuous stay in Jacksonville be the end of his career. So far having what is the worst season of his career, look for Boldin to try and prove the naysayers wrong. He's only got a pedestrian 15 receptions on the year, definitely not the way he wants his NFL journey to end. His days seem numbered in Jack-town, but I say far from being numbered in his career.

6) Titus Young - Young is a guy that I was very high on coming out of Boise State. But finding himself in Detriot and under the constant shadow of the beast that is "Megatron", it's been hard for Young to really flourish. Having one of the best seasons of his young career so far, Titus may finally decide to step out of that shadow. He's second in Detroit this season with 29 grabs for 541 yards and 3 scores. Not bad numbers at all, especially when you have arguably the best wide out in the league on the other side of you. If Young decides to opt for free agency, he could be a very hot commodity.

1) Jimmy Graham - The Graham Reaper. Coming off of his rookie deal, I don't know if anyone would have predicted that Graham would have rocketed into superstar status so quickly. He came into the league with a bang from the University of Miami, and hasn't stopped to catch a breathe yet. Leading the league amoungst tight ends this season with 55 receptions, Graham is a long shot to hit the market. He is obviously a key for the New Orleans Saints offense, and with 8 touchdowns on the year it's pretty safe to say that that offense runs through him. He's also on pace for another 1000 yard season. And if I had to give a percentage of how likely it is we see Graham hit the open market,it would be .002%. There is always a chance, however; which is why he tops my list.

2) Jermichael Finely - Finley is having a pretty nice year in Green Bay. Also hauling in 8 TDs over 575 yards, Finley is one of the more important weapons that QB Aaron Rodgers has at his disposal. The only knock Finley ever had against him is that he was somewhat injury prone. However after staying healthy for the past few seasons, Finley has put those issues well behind him. If Green Bay doesn't decide to retain their long-time tight end, other teams will most likely pounce on this big bodied commodity.
3) Kellen Winslow - Age factor aside, Winslow can still get down the ball field. A good receiving tight end is a must in this day in age of football. Winslow is still one of the tops for me in that category. In a lineup stacked with tight ends in St. Louis, including Jeremy Shockey, Winslow leads them all with 325 yards from scrimmage and 4 TDs. Due to the depth at the position, I don't see the Rams picking Winslow up after the season. If he decided to continue his career, I think he could still definitely help a team in this league.

4) DJ Williams - Mediocre numbers for the young man from the University of Arkansas. But he does have 6 TD catches on the year. His low numbers can be attributed to being behind the #2 guy on this list, Jermichael Finley, on the depth chart. One would think if the Packers do re-sign Finely, they may not keep Williams around. On the other hand, Williams is the younger of the two and with that comes a bigger upside. It'll be interesting to see how the Packers work this out and which, if either, will be on their way out in Green Bay.